Morning journal and courier., 1887-01-21
ssFAUST.,,
New HaVen's First Grand opera
 Gounod's Masterpiece Magnificently

Gounod's Masterpiece Magnihcently
 Presented-The Largest and Most
 Brilliant Audience of the Season.
 The largest and most brilliant audience ever assembled at Carl1's Opera House wit messed the first appearance of the National Opera company in this city last evening. l Promptly at ten minutes before eight o'clock | Mr. Thomas, with characteristic solemnity, i bowed in acknowledgment of the applause | which greeted his appearance, and the opera l commenced. The gentlemen in the audience l seemed at once to forget their struggles in obtaining seats and the outrageous premiums paid to the ticket speculators, and to renem- Der only the good sense of most of the ladies present, who wore full evening dresses with small bonnets or no bonnets at all. The ladies looked all the lovelier and happier be- cause they had complied with the suggestion of the management that Gainesborough hats be left at home. It was apparent that every one present had come to enjoy the opera to the fullest extent. In fact from the first an nouncement that the company were to visit us there has been feeling of confidence that there would be disappointments, and that everything would be done AS advertised. This expectation was realized. There were but few absentees Tn the chorus and ballet and noEe in the or chestra, the scenery was as complete as it was appropriate and the whole performance was given on a more grand scale than any thing ever seen in this city. The company deserved the support it received and we con- gratu1a the directors of the Concert associa- tion upon the unprecedented success of New Haven's first grand opera.
 As previously announced, "Faust" was selected as the opera best calculated to entire company. No other com pany in this country has attempted to give the entire opera as it was given last evening. Since the work was first produced in 1859 it has undergone many changes, but in one form or another it has score used last evening is the enc presented to MT. Thomas by the Paris Grand Opera last summer. The principal singers last eve hing were with one or two exceptions quite successful in the roles assigned them. Miss Juch sang Marguerite" very modestly and | naturally She seemed to win the sympathy l of her audience and was twice l called before the curtain. She has | 8 clear, sweet, strong voice under sufficient | control, and she fully met all the require | ments of the music. In future she will be favorite here MT. Bassett's rendition of |
  the play of Hamlet with the character of S Hamlet omitted. We do not desire to criticise this artist, because we believe he did | his best, but he has not voice of sufficient dramatic power for the role he undertook. We suppose that the National fculties in common with all oth- CT companies in finding suitable tenors. MT Ludwig made an admirable sMephisto pheles" and fairly divided the honors with Miss Juch. The remaining solo parts were creditably taken, Miss VonZanten deserving special mention for her fine appearance and singing as ''Siebel."
 But it is by carefully avoiding the star system that the company seek to obtain the l best production of the operas in their roper toire. It is in the chorus, orchestra and | ballet that the company seek to surpass all | chorus is well drilled | one and is evidently ca pablo of doing excellent work, but it | was at disadvantage last evening. The | shape of the auditorium is such that the or | chestra oould not be properly arranged. In | to hear anything but the orches- | chorus had taken their positions nearer the footlights they would have been | heard much more prominently. The soldiers | chorus was grand and received the applause l It deserved. IQ0 mSMD0TS OI bu0 CQOTub also deserve great credit for their share of l the acting. It is not necessary to mention the orchestra. Its members have | all been selected by MT. Thomas and under his direction nothing could be nearer perfsc- | tion than their playing. Conducting operas l is comparatively new field of labor 1 for MT. Thomas, but as a leader of orchestra this country has never seen his equal. To l the orchestra, therefore, belongs the greatest l share of praise. Always in the strictest 1 time and tune, whether playing the pianis- i simo aceompaniments to Miss Juch's solos, | the ballet music, or with trumpets and trom- | bones keeping time to the soldiers chorus, | the work of the orchestra was simply perfect. l The ballet was by far the best ever | seen here. Mile. Giuri is the queen of the | profession, and she has large number of ex- | cellent dancers in the corps de ballet. The | scenery and properties were the best ever | seen here and all of it was specially painted | and constructed for the accurate presentation | of the opera.
 It is quite probable that the company may make us 8 second visit after their New York | engagement in February. In that event | either ''Aida" or ''Lohengrin'' would be pre- sented with Messrs. Whitney, Candidus and | Miss Pierson in the cast. The large receipts last evening enabled the Concert association to pay the heavy expenses incurred in pro- ducing the opera and to make profit of a | few hundred dollars besides.